Act I: Roger The Negotiator
by Genine
Summary: Act I of the Big O. In novel form.
1. Prologue

* dialogue primarily taken from the anime in a painstaking process... But descriptions are mine... But the images are not. I'm just describing what goes on the television screen. ^^ And then some... Oh yeah and listen to this song while reading this. It enrichens the experience: .com/watch?v=uXkQMalMpho ------------ enter that for Youtube

In fact, enjoy listening to all the Big O soundtrack. It's all on there. Thanks to silence crow.

*************************Prologue***************************

Imagine a place where the sun never shines. Imagine this place on earth. Imagine the omnipresence of heavy overcast skies that offer only an occasional glimpse of heavens which don't exist. Imagine never seeing stars up above. Imagine the predictability of acidic rain that comes as it goes, a rain that you can barely escape from and the next minute not know its there even as it stings your skin. Imagine the wind, which howls as it preys upon littered alleys, whispers as it sensually tugs at the wisps of your hair, moans of the horrors of inexplicable events that all happened forty years ago. Imagine the gray pavement, as gray as the sky. Imagine the eerie glow of the low-hanging stoplight as blood red turns into monster green. Imagine the wind that carries the haunting cry of the subway train. Imagine cars quickly passing by, there one moment and far gone the next. Imagine the humidity of mystery that pervades the air. Imagine the stench of an urban city, the stench of sweat, of decaying matter, old food in cheap restaurant dumpsters. Imagine that among the connotations of humanity is something not quite human. Imagine the works of our hands, the technology, the machines everywhere. And imagine that which cannot be seen, that which dwells among us in guise. Imagine the invisible. Imagine the purpose for everything that we can't seem to find. Imagine the grave faces of people that walk down the sidewalks, past the windows of businesses. Imagine the false assumptions of society. Imagine that we are not who we think we are. Imagine the truth that lies beneath the surface of the concrete, beyond the pipes and holes in the ground. Imagine domes, literally, that segregate the rich with the poor. Imagine the fine line between fantasy and reality. Imagine the drive which unites all human beings, the quest for identity. Imagine that which can be imagined.


	2. Meet Dorothy

*********************Chapter 1: Meet Dorothy*********************

**Out of the fog and smoke rose a mysterious elegant vehicle quite out of place akin to its impoverished surroundings. And yet the shiny black car resembled almost smoke itself as it dissipated down the dirty streets of the 'bad side of town'. The fast car's tires clanged loudly against the loose metallic gutters dotting the street's pavement, causing the dark pedestrians who strolled the sides of the city to turn their heads. I pushed my right foot forward to slightly brake as a safety precaution to my ride. Didn't want any debris from that old leaning building right there to hit my car. Then I turned left into the highway, the city sights being reflected on mirrors and cleanly waxed metal. **

**Welcome to my own unmistakenably dramatic entrance. My name is Roger Smith. I perform a much-needed job here in the City of Amnesia. **

**I arrived at my destination. This time I pulled on the brakes, slightly screeching into the open delapidated warehouse. The car stopped. I stepped out of the vehicle with my shades and handy briefcase, my footsteps echoing in the pretty much empty room. Empty except for me, two moron bodyguards, their moronic leader, and their vintage yellow ride. I walked towards them resisting the urge to say something yet, in all its seriousness allowing the atmosphere to sink in. I'll let them talk. The yellow car's headlights without warning turned on. High beam. I breathed in air as I raised my elbow up as a whimsy shield. I regretted that I let them speak first.**

**"Leave it right there!" the man in the middle demanded. He was predictably wearing a yellow suit to match. I could also somehow see that he didn't turn once to face me ever since I arrived at the warehouse.**

**"I thought the arrangement we made was clear. In a fair deal all parties lay their cards on the table... Mr. Beck," I said, saying his name like it itself was an insult. The skinny finally banana showed his face alright, but not without a fellow smirk. **

**"Hmph. Okay... Mr Paradigm City Negotiatior."He motioned to someone in car behind him. The side door opened. A third guard and a blindfolded thin young girl emerged. So that was her. I crouched down and put the briefcase gently on the rugged concrete. I opened the briefcase and lifted it up at an angle so he could see the plenty of 100's nestled neatly inside. Beck didn't shift from where he stood. Instead, he took out the binoculars to investigate the authenticity of the money. He liked what he saw.**

**"Soldano handed over the money for his own daughter," Beck cocked his head, "That's some father."**

**I stood up again, irritated, closing the briefcase. "It's the amount both of you agreed on," I enforced, shrewedly kicking the money towards them. It stopped in the middle of the room, leaving a trail of dust as it skidded. "Alright. Now send the girl this way." **

**The third guard let go of the girl by the arm, going behind her as to untie the bonds which captured her wrists. She immediately started walking toward me."Take your time miss. Just walk slowly toward my voice. That's it-- keep coming," I ordered. As she proceeded surely towards me, the third guard proceeded faster to the money. He grabbed it like Indiana Jones grabbing a precious artifact, and ran back to his negotiation was going surprisingly easy. I was almost 100% sure the deal was safely done. The blindfolded girl who was wearing a plain green dress kept walking toward me, arms outstretched. Her hands finally grasped the side of my hips with such firmness like a lover. I shifted in surprise. I looked down at her. She had short red hair, pink lips, and a complexion very pale but flattering to her girlish delicate features. I compared her to my repertoire. She would be my taste-- if she was a little bit more older.**

**"You could remove the blindfold now," I said with a smile. "Miss... Soldano."What I saw behind the black fabric wasn't what I expected. I didn't see the glittering eyes of a young girl seeing her saviour but just a dark empty gaze as solemn as the blindfold. It didn't seem... human. I would've made a large gasp if my keen hearing didn't hear at that moment the screech of car brakes in the near distance. "Oh darn. I hate it when clients are so impatient." **

**A dark Cadillac wobbled to a stop in the room and an old man with an inappropriately shaped head stepped out. "Dorothy! Dorothy!"**

**At that moment the yellow vintage car sped out of the room. They must've been in a hurry, as they even crashed through a wall like it was cardboard. I was amazed the car made it through intact. I looked back at this Dorothy. "Well, you're free now my dear," I said. I then looked at the feeble-sounding father as he was running toward his daughter, panting in desperation. "Of course, with a father like that I suppose it's restricted freedom."**

**"As you can see, the transaction was complete," I said to Mr. Soldano.**

**"What?"He must've been hard of hearing. **

**"Now, about the rest of my--"**

**"This isn't my daughter fool!" said Mr. Soldano.**

**It was my turn for a 'what.'**

**"Are you blind? How could you possibly mistake **_**that**_**. for my precious Dorothy!" Mr. Soldano exclaimed, pointing at Dorothy like one would point at dog excrement.I took off my sunglasses and looked at the young woman. Her neck suddenly turned to face me in an unhuman way. I heard a mechanic whirl and I saw the lifeless gaze. As mechanic as the few airplane parts in the hangar we were in. **

**"It's an android!?"**

**"This thing is a dummy of Dorothy. You mean to tell me that you handed over the money without even realizing that? Paradigm City's top Negotiator-- what a joke! You're nothing but an incompetent idiot!"**

**I proceeded to take something out of the inner pocket of the inside of my suit. Mr. Soldano flinched. I pulled out a very large remote control and pressed the red button. I can't believe how some people are willing to believe that I'm stupid. But no worries. The 100s were in a very, very special briefcase that would definitely not make it past airport briefcase was in fact not heavy because of the money but because of the metal techology inside comprised of many gadgets. With the click of the button, I'm sure by now the strong briefcase has ejected its way through the roofing of the car, launched high into the sky, startling the ever-too-confident Beck, and severely damaging his car. Cops will be notified of something fishy primarily by the smoke coming from the car and the sound of the explosion that I heard just all turned towards the opening of the warehouse. We could see the highway bridge not too far away with a bit of billowing clouds. **

**"What have you done?" Mr. Soldano asked. "I... still don't have my daughter back!"**

**"If they don't want to play by the rules then the money comes back," I said, cranking a dial on the remote to set the coordinates for the briefcase's arrival. Negotiating requires good faith. In this case it was lacking on both sides. Collective bargaining of this nature should only be conducted between pros.**

**I couldn't help noticing the android girl watching me curiously.**


	3. Bad Side of Town

*********************************Chapter 2: Bad Side Of Town**********************************

**The bad side of town. Again. Much of my business is conducted here. I parked in front of the Speakeasy. As always, everyone turned towards me because it's not everyday a nice car like mine shows up in front of some old two-star bar. But I have no worries. Upon exiting my vehicle, I took out a remote control and pressed a red button. My car becomes re-enforced with a bulletproof and thief-proof steel covering and then some to prevent anyone from temptation. I opened the doors to the restaurant. I heard footsteps behind me. Pedestrians looking curiously at my ride. I don't mind rubbernecks but if any of them try they are sure to get a rude awakening. As soon as I entered the restaurant, the pungent scent of alcohol greeted me. I raised my arm up expectantly for the cold bottle. Our hands exchanged a one hundred for a Caffe Liquer. If he expects a nice tip, the bartender automatically knows to give me the best.I walked past the line of bloodshot-eyed people at the bar and pool tables to meet my old man acquaintance who as always appeared to be sticking his nose in the latest newspaper while listening to a walkman. I ignored the available seat at his table and took a spot at the next table over. I adjusted my chair.**

**"I heard you actually failed for once," he said, not lifting his eyes up.**

**"My client wasn't a patient man," I said, not staring at him directly. **

**He folded the top of his paper down. "Isn't the knight in shining armor going to rescue the damsel-in-distress?"**

**"I was just hired to do one thing. Discover his daughter's whereabouts. It was just simply out of the goodness of my gentlemanly heart that I go the extra length to retrieve the girl for the old tightwad. Still, how do you manage to free an android that can almost pass as human?"**

**"Good question. I've had my ear in the ground for some time now. Rumor had it that Soldano has his hands on some memory fragment."**

**"Memory..." I repeated.**

**"They say that Soldano's factory is producting illegal items... That's all I know," he said, putting his newspaper down.**

**I took one last swig of the liquor and stood up. I stuffed several 20s under the latest edition. He raised his glass.**


	4. Memories, Like Nightmares

********************************Chapter 3: Memories, Like Nightmares********************************

This place, Paradigm City, is a town of forgetfulness. One day forty years ago everyone lost their memory of anything that happened before that day. But humans are adaptable creatures. They make do and go on with life. If they're smart enough to figure out machinery and operate electricity, they can still have something of civilization even without a history. People can survive without knowing what did or did not happen in the past. Each day they try their hardest do just that. The only ones who regret the loss of the city's memories is the elderly. Memories, like nightmares, sometimes come when you least expect them.

Thirty minutes later after getting the valuable information I arrived at my home. I went up the elevator to be greeted by Norman, my butler. He lifted his right arm to his chest.

"Mr. Roger," he said in his slight British-sounding accent, taking my coat. "Welcome home."

"Norman. Please check the brigs. Their efficiency has dropped by one-eighth," I said, walking into my home of vast white ceilings and wine-colored carpet.

"Really sir? I'll see to it after I prepare for dinner... Perhaps they haven't been maintained that properly."

I turned around, extending my tie to him. "I feel that criminals should behave proffesionally-- do you agree?" I asked. It was a long day. I needed to have a nice thought-provoking discussion with a friend to get some things off my chest.

"Master Roger. I've nearly forgotten that there's a lady guest-- Miss Wayneright-- waiting to see you."

"A lady guest. You let her in?"

"Yes, sir."

I quickly entered the elevator again to the third floor, adjusting my tie and smoothing my hair. I then climbed up several steps to be in a dark, large green-colored room with a grand piano and several furnishings. As I emerged from the stairs, I saw the slender silhouette of a woman whose back was turned away from me. She was staring through the ceiling-high windows which offered a nice view of the city. I adjusted my suit once more with confidence.I rested one hand on the banister and put one hand behind my back.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss. I am Roger Smith. I have a special house rule that only lovely young women can unconditionally enter this mansion. Sorry to keep you waiting."

She still faced the window. I walked towards her rear.

"I am Roger Smith... How may I be of service Miss--" I heard a mechanical whir as her neck turned around, then her body. My face fell. "What's going on? You're Miss Wayneright?"

"How do you do?"

"Norman must be senile," I muttered under my breath. "How else could be possibly confuse an android for a woman?"

"You couldn't tell the difference at first either."

I adjusted my tie. "It was dark. I couldn't see in that dump. So, what do you want from me?" I said, plopping on a yellow couch. I crossed my legs. "The kidnapping case is already being handled. The military police are conducting a large scale investigation. I'm positive the real Dorothy will turn up very soon." I turned to face her. She would've been very persuasive-- if her face hadn't been so serious and robotic all the time. "However, you are impressively well built. I'm amazed that gritty old kook could build a technology marvel like you."

"Soldano merely funded my construction."

I grabbed my head and chuckled. "Naturally... Well what do you want?"

"I would like you to protect me."

This was getting too good to be true. "You what? Sister, you're confused. You're lookin' for a private investigator or somethin'. Now, being a bodyguard for an android isn't the job for a PI either."

Her solemn eyes gleamed. "The job is yours. Roger Smith."

An indicator on the coffee table buzzed and blinked green, meaning Norman was going to notify of something via intercom. I was thankful. The silence between Dorothy and I was highly palpable.

"I am terribly sorry to interrupt, Master Roger, but Major Dastun of the military police is here and he's quite insistent upon seeing you."


	5. Never Accept Failure

*****************************************Chapter 4: Never Accept Failure*****************************************

Knock knock.

"You know you really shouldn't be snooping around on other people's belongings," I said, peeping through the door. Major Dastun almost jumped while turning around with the photo frame on hand. It was a picture of him and I apparently several years ago when we were just service officers.

"Assuming these things are actually your own memories that is," Dastun said, putting the photo back on the mantle with a smile.

"We're certainly more than willing to start a war but the girl has already been rescued I presume." I closed the door behind me and grabbed a Caffe Liquer along with a wine glass. "Well, wanna drink?"

He angled his palm to me in rejection. Drinking problem? Suit yourself.

"Well, it's bizarre," he said, sighing. "We were told there was a kidnapping and did some digging but found out that Soldano has no daughter."

My head rang.

"Anyway, he tried to make a deal with the kidnappers instead of notifying law enforcement or authorities. He's an industrialist who has a lot of power outside the domes. If we had gotten to close to the factory, some of his dark dirty secrets might've slipped out."

I poured the liquid and took a drink. "Well, maybe he just didn't want to turn into a mediate event."

"Lt. Smith," he said loudly.

I set the glass on the table with enough force that it made a noise."If you're attempting to be sarcastic than I'm warning you you're pushing it, Major," I yelled. "I'm not one of your grunts so don't call me that again."

He put his hand to his mouth in such a way that he looked like he was going to cough. Instead he said sorry. "Old habit, you know. Hard to break." He picked off his uniform hat off the side table. "At any rate, the reason I stopped by was to give Paradigm City's top Negotiator a word of advice." He walked directly in front of me to look me in the eye. "You really blew the job, pal." Dastun poked his finger on my stiff chest before walking off. "So keep your big nose out of this. I'll take you up on the drink another time. See ya." And then he did what was supposed to be a 'friendly' salute as he closed the door behind him.

"NORMAN!"


	6. The Unabandoned Warehouse

*********************************Chapter 5: The Unabandoned Warehouse*********************************

A man always needs some alone time for a relaxing drive. I revved up the car as the garage door opened and proceeded to put the transmission onto drive. That is, until the door across from me clicked open. A certain android just took a seat into my car.

"You're going to Soldano's factory aren't you?" She said it more like a statement than a question.I looked at her and gritted my teeth.

"Do I have to make you get out?"

"You may try but I doubt a mere human would have the strength." I slammed the left pedal and the car screeched forward. I sped out of the garage. Let's see if the nature of her strength can deal with an angry man's driving. "Why did you come to me instead of going straight to Soldano? Well, I mean after all he's sort of your parent."

"Parent?"

"Well, that poses an interesting question. I'm stumped on this. What would an android call her creator?" I took a quick look at Dorothy, who became quiet. "Dorothy?"

The scenery changed beside the highway from buildings to industry. From that moment on I enjoyed the quietness of the android and the smooth cruising of my car. I took an exit road, which eventually turned into an old railroad track. In front of the car rose a white building that looked like two boxes with an 'X' stacked on top of each other. I stopped the car. We stepped out silently. Yet another warehouse similar to the one where I first met Dorothy. The most prominent feature of the warehouse was the lack of light. I continued walking forward, following the railroad track. I noticed that it ended abruptly.

"What is this?" I muttered. There was a large hole in the ground. It was so vast and mysterious that I almost felt like I had reached the end of the world. "What happened here? Do you know?" Dorothy remained cold and unresponsive. I knew I would get no more answers from her. And she was really starting to creep me out.I looked up at the ceiling. There was a long strip of technologic metal hanging and strange blue glowings. My eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and it was revealed to me that this was just not any old warehouse. I felt from the atmosphere that something very strange and tragic happened here. The room was very messy and metal parts belonging to something unknown were strewed everywhere on a floor dangerously scattered with glass. A few shards had blood. A control station up above, an important busy place for business matters long ago, watched over the empty hangar with its cracked and red-stained windows. Dorothy and I climbed up a rusty staircase to investigate the control room. Through the shattered window of the door I saw a limp body lying on the dusty brown floor.

"Soldano!" I yelled, rushing over to the body. I checked for any vital signs. I registed a weak but present pulse. I lifted his upper body up, holding his lethargic head. "Soldano."

The old man opened his mouth feebly for a whisper. "I never wanted to build it," I heard. I didn't comprehend what he said after that but I asked, "Never wanted to build what? What did you build?" He then saw Dorothy behind me.

"Huh. The other Dorothy. The second. You came back? You were the one that was my real daughter," whispered Soldano.

"He arranged me with blueprints. Nothing more. It's the deranged rantings of a dying man," Dorothy said in her monotone voice.

"That's enough," I ordered. I at least have respect for the dying, if not the elderly. "You shouldn't talk like that."

"It's alright," Soldano said, his lips curling slightly. "Nightingale..." I could feel the warmth of existance oozing out of his body. My eyes widened and I leaned forward. "What?"

But Soldano closed his eyes for the last. He died peacefully. Almost, at least. With the decease of Soldano came the unanswered questions in my mind. I momentarily closed my eyes as well and let the corpse back on the floor gently. For some reason I positioned his body to that of a man lying on his casket, hands clasped on the center of his body. I looked downwards and put my hands in a prayer position. For a second the only thing that existed was him and me.

"What are you doing? Praying?"

"Sh!" I hissed. I saw her in my peripheral vision staring above me, watching curiously. I closed my eyes again but was interrupted by the beeping on my watch. Which could only mean one thing.

"Run!" I yelled with such urgency, getting up from my kneeling position. "Hurry!"


	7. Meet Dorothy One

**************************Chapter 6: Dorothy One***************************

I heard an explosion and the sound of something incoming, slicing through the air. With only a few seconds to waste, Dorothy and I ran like hell out of the control tower. There followed a second louder explosion, an explosion I could feel. I also felt debris and heat rise against me, compelling me to the ground suddenly. I perceived shattering glass, the chattering sound of flames, and distant laughing.

"Aren't you going to return fire?" asked Dorothy in a voice too calm and monotone for the situation.

"With what, pray tell. It's not like I pack a lunchbox full of missiles when I go to work,"I said sarcastically. I glanced forward at the metal stairs 20 meters away and then at the floor below the catwalk. Not a soul in sight."Since you're no mere human would you--"

"You want me to decoy their fire?" she asked, starting to get up. The advantages of having an android as a friend.

"BINGO!" I exclaimed, pushing her forward. I watched her pale legs dash before me and soon enough heard and saw sparks bouncing off the metal staircase-- the criminals' desperate attempt to shoot down something more skilled than human."Okay," I muttered, cranking the dial on my watch. The phrase 'ARMS SELECT' appeared on the screen. Below that appeared the word 'GUNS.' I scrolled down and hit 'MISSILE.' Meanwhile, I heard another sound of an enemy's launch. I heard an explosion and saw the criminal dismantle the catwalk with his artillery. Dorothy lost footing as the platform snapped in half like a cracker. I saw her proceed to fall down on the ground meters below, but managed to grab a beam for her safety. The metal bar bent with her strength. She would appear to be dangling helplessly to any criminal. Perfect. Through my watch I glared out from the camera on the gargoyle figurine perched at the head of my car. I zoomed in to the target. A yellow vintage car. And a very recognizable figure on top. I pressed 'ATTACK.' I heard the sweet incoming sound of justice. I saw two whistling mistles whizz past. The word kaboom would be an understatement.I braced myself against the heat and onslaught of smoke that swelled through the room. Darkness. And then the smoke dissipated, slowly but surely.

*****************************

I am officially thankful to be walking out alive. I am more than okay. As for Dorothy, she was alive. If you could call it that. She looked the same as she walked in with all four of her limbs-- except her hair was unruly, her dress slightly parched, and she smelled like were both standing in front of the warehouse next to my ride.

"You're a louse, Roger Smith," she said as she opened the frontal passenger side door.

"That's a first. I'm used to hearing human women saying that to me." I heard a beeping nose and leaned into the car. A call. I grabbed the phone. "Yes, Norman."

"Master Roger. In West Dome No. 5 there's a report of a giant robot that is at the moment attacking the Mint Bureau building. What do you intend to do, sir?" His talking white-haired face appeared on the television screen of the car. I smiled. "Norman, isn't it obvious." I put the phone down with a click. "Dorothy, I think we just found your big sister."

We officially hightailed out of there. The highway was especially excruciating but bearable. The road was filled with crappy drivers and slow-moving traffic. I tried to squeeze through every inch possible, honked so I could get way. Without my level of road assertiveness and a vast amount of screeching tires it would've taken a full hour just to get to the dome.

"What will you do?" Dorothy asked while I was driving.

"What I'm paid to do. According to my contract I have to return your sister."

"But your client is dead. Why bother?"

"I have a contract to fulfill. They're living. They're dead. It doesn't matter. That's how I work and..."

"And what?"

"And you now got a contract with me and my new client," I said. We finally passed under 'W5-G7' with arrivals and departures marked 'CLOSED.' Two tanks and a multitude of displaced civilians past the entrance were signs of the Megadeus' arrival. We followed a convoy of police cars. A young wide-eyed service officer was directing traffic. He saw my vehicle and motioned for us to halt. I had to pull my brakes in order to prevent a hit-and-run.I heard a muffled 'hold it.' I impatiently rolled the windows down.

"This dome is quartered off, hotshot," the officer said. "Let me see your ID."

"Your a rookie?" I said. "Be smart and next time remember my face, okay?"

He blinked as I slowly accelerated off. "H-hey!"

As I got closer to the expected location, the crowds became thicker and thicker. One wrong move and I could've easily killed someone. I noticed Dorothy, who usually stayed in the same position facing forward, shift her head towards the window. She was staring at an old strange-looking man who either looked like an unfashionable pimp or blind musician. He had greasy white stringy hair up to his shoulders and a grey complexion.

"My father," Dorothy said.

I would've stopped the car immediately and screamed a 'what' but it was a Megadeus emergency. The sirens got louder and so did the rumblings. Eventually I spotted the tall Megadeus, which resembled a red lobster with wild metal tentaclles. Compared to the monster, the police cars and tanks looked like domino toys. I stopped the car and stepped out with Dorothy following suit. I saw the Major in between two police cars on civilian control. That was the only defense between the chaos-inducing Megadeus and the Megadeus's tentacles ravaged through buildings that were empty except for the armed forces who tried to prevent any furthur damage from happening. Bullets simply bounced off its solid body. Tank artillery didn't have any effect on it either. I watched the desperation of the military police and the apathy of the large busy robot in awe. The Megadeus's tentacles were all aimed within theMint Bureau building. Your not-so-typical robber. "It all fits. That's what Soldano created," I said.

"Dorothy One," the android girl acknowledged.

"I could understand now why the kidnappers thought you were useless to them."

Suddenly the eyes of the Dorothy One turned red, sensing another Soldano-made mechanism in the area. Simultaneously, my petite android friend recognized her sister, too. Dorothy's inner workings stiffened and her eyes glowed. I could sense that these siblings would not get along.I raised my left hand to my eye mouth and spoke the words into my watch. "It's showtime! Big O!"

******************

The Big O crumbled through pavement and sliced through an evacuated building as it emerged from the ancient abyss of the subway system below. I leaped into the cockpit, pressing the familiar necessary buttons and flipping on switches. All systems go. The neck of Big O slid into place, hiding me from view. I held my arms towards my chest as the U-shaped controls whirred from above me into place and the operation pedals hummed into view. The screen turned on and there scrolled its usual message: 'CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD YE NOT GUILTY.' The two red joysticks slid in front of me and grabbed them, one for each hand.

"Big O! And action!"

My Megadeus proceeded forward. Dorothy One was standing in front of the Mint building unguarded, letting its tentacles feel the interior and do all the work. I pressed the buttons on the joystick and Big O's arms grabbed Soldano's creation by the shoulders. I threw Dorothy One back into a neighboring building, its tentacles withdrawing. The crowd believe raised their arms up in a cheer. Dorothy One then got up and attempted to stab me with the two knife-shape protrusions on each hand. It managed to punch four times on Big O's shoulders and neck area. Sparks were generated. The cockpit was shaking from the impact. I heard the emergency alarm wailing throughout the dome. In a panic the civilians started racing for the dome exits, fearing the downfall of their savior. My adrenaline was rushing alright. Dorothy One had a low recoil time and was throwing a series of punches at me, one after the other, but I managed Big O to shield itself using its arms. The pour seemed to be continuous but then there were a few seconds of stillness. Dorothy One's two arms both retreated. It planned to finish me off with both arms knocking me out of once. It's a good thing Big O has good reaction time. Big O raised his hands up to stop the single target-area punch. It was like catching a baseball. I countered Dorothy One by using the physics of both of its hands against her. I harnessed the velocity and power and pushed her back against the building. It was my turn to throw a series of attacks. I used all of Big O's might to throw a right hook however Dorothy One unfortunately stepped back right on time. No worries. Big O's reaction time enabled me to give off some jabs that forcefully compelled Dorothy One backwards with each blow.

"Well, not very ladylike behavior, Dorothy One," I said inside the hot sweaty cockpit.

I finally felt like I could win this thing as I pressed Big O forward. Dorothy One was getting cornered. There were too many buildings on each side of her. I had the advantage. I now made him punch with both fists simultaneously to give Dorothy One a taste of her own then a surprise attack came from Dorothy One. I almost forgot the uber creepy tentacles which now launched from their receptacles. They wound around Big O's body. They had a surprising effectiveness in robbery as well as battle. Big O could not move. It was a snake caught up in the wounding coils of a python. It lifted me up off the floor.

"A spoiled girl with a major attitude," I yelled. "Not my type!"

I struggled to budge Big O's arms. No can do so I budged it's shoulders. They slammed Dorothy One in the head. She put me down. I saw blue electricity coursing through her metal; she was losing power. I pressed the top button on the joystick. Time to end our fight. I pulled back the right joystick all the way past me and then released it forward for amazing force in my right hook.

"Bye bye! Die."

Sparks flew out of its torso as Big O pummeled Dorothy One. I then lifted up Dorothy One by the neck with one hand and transformed my other hand into a giant silver block that would deliver as much punch as possible. I aimed towards the torso, a crucial area in any Megadeus. There was a bright highly satisfactory explosion as it ripped through her metallic organs. What remained of them was a burnt hollow hole. Blue electricity coursed through Dorothy One as she eventually circuited and lost all power. The metal robot stiffened as the electricity stopped running and started to make its heavy volatile descent towards the ground. Its right arm was frozen upwards as it was reaching for something above its head. Victory at last. I smiled smugly to myself as I imagined all the jokes I had to tell D...

What was that?

I looked through one of the several screens and saw the android girl. "Dorothy! What is she doing down there! Get out of the way!" I yelled, jerking. She was dangerously close to the collapsing mecha-robot. How did she get there?! She was going to get crushed! I wondered why she wouldn't move; I expected her to get to her senses and just start running away. I then noticed her body was frozen in place and had her right arm elongated above her head just like her sister. An inexplicable powerless feeling washed over me. Was that Dastun? I saw the Major running behind her, screaming something. It happened all so quickly and felt unreal. I struggled to see through all the dust and debris. Dastun tried to grab her and drag her out but she was just too heavy. Dorothy One's descent was getting closer and closer. Her shadow continued to approach them until her solid metal body blocked them from my sight. A grating bang and the final shake of the ground beneath numbed my ear.

Dorothy One crashed onto the hard concrete with force that would easily pulverize bones and steel.

END OF ACT I: ROGER THE NEGOTIATOR


End file.
